7 Ways GMOs Are Hiding in Your Food

There’s no doubt that the safety of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) is questionable at best. Although the health of GMOs is still up for debate, I’ve seen all the evidence I need to see to avoid them.

Some of this evidence is shocking, like the study that showed that a toxin only present in Monsanto genetically modified Bt corn was present in pregnant women who consumed the corn as well as the umbilical blood of their unborn fetuses (1.Source). Another study found that rats fed GMO corn over 2 years developed tumors, had disabled pituitaries and developed kidney deficiencies. This same study found that the rats fed GMO corn died 2-3 times more than the control group (2.Source). An in-depth report examining the claims made by Monsanto and the FDA in favor of the safety, health and benefits of GMOs showed that almost all of of these claims are false (3.Source). In fact, this report found that GMO seeds do not increase yield, GMOs are not a safe or effective solution for world hunger, they harm soil quality, they are poorly regulated, and they can exacerbate allergies (4.Source).

Even the Former Director of Corporate Communications for Monsanto, the biggest producer of GMOs, said “Monsanto should not have to vouchsafe the safety of biotech food…. Our interest is in selling as much of it as possible. Assuring its safety is the FDA’s job.” And the FDA apparently isn’t doing it’s job either, because they DO NOT require safety testing for genetically modified foods before it is approved for the market.

While it is clear to me that at the very least GMOs should be labeled, for now the best thing we can do is find out which foods contain GMOs and do our best to avoid them.

The eight most common GMO foods are corn, soy, sugar beets, canola, cottonseed, Hawaiian papaya, some zucchini and yellow squash.

Many of these GMO foods like soy and corn seem easy enough to avoid; Just don’t buy tofu and don’t get non-organic corn right? But it’s harder than it seems. A lot of these foods find their way into packaged foods and restaurants mostly in the form of corn and soy derivatives.

So you can stay informed about what you’re eating, I’ve created a list of 7 common food additives that are genetically modified. I’ve included what to watch out for when looking at ingredient labels and some alternative options for these foods.

1. GMOs in Vitamins

GMOs

Yes, the bottles of vitamins you are taking to stay healthy may be doing just the opposite, but don’t worry there are ways around it! Not only do oral vitamins contain GMOs, but many foods with added vitamins like cereal, bread and enriched soy and nut milks contain added synthetic vitamins that are derived from genetically modified ingredients.

“To produce a food additive such as a vitamin, genetic engineers will identify a microorganism that can produce the additive, such as a bacteria or fungi, and genetically alter it. The GM microorganism is then placed in fermenters, closed stainless steel tanks that are used to create conditions where the microorganism can thrive and produce the desired product in large quantities. When the growth and production is complete, the vitamin is isolated and purified. Proponents say that no traces of microorganisms are present in the final product, and no GM DNA is detectable….While proponents say production of GM microorganisms is safe, there has been one major catastrophe. In 1989, an L-tryptophan food supplement, produced using a genetically engineered microorganism, was responsible for the deaths of 37 people and disabling of several thousand more in the United States.” (5.Source)

2. GMOs in Non-Organic Dairy and Meat

GMOs make it into animal products in a variety of ways. Because corn and soy are so heavily produced in the US and are so inexpensive because of government subsidies, it’s cheaper for factory farms to just feed animals GMO corn and soy even though they’re not meant to eat it. This results in a variety of illnesses in feedlot animals which is why they also inject them with a steady diet of antibiotics. Rennet, an enzyme used to make cheese, is often genetically modified as well. Apart from that, animals are also given genetically modified growth hormones like rBST to make them produce more.

Not only do factory farms (also known as Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations or CAFOs) use an exorbitant amount of GMOs in their day-to-day operations, they are also one of the worst offenders when it comes to health, environmental safety, humane treatment of animals and fair treatment of workers.

If you do nothing else on this list, I urge you to stop consuming products from CAFOs!

This doesn’t even mean you have to give up any foods that you currently enjoy. You can find better alternatives for the basic supermarket cheese, milk, eggs and meat. Organic, grass-fed and pastured is what you want to look for. Yes, it costs more, but if you care about your health and the health of your family it’s worth it!

Consider making changes in other parts of your budget to make room for better quality animal products. For example, if you eat out a lot, cut it down to once a month and start cooking at home more. If you’re buying cereal at the store, switch to homemade oatmeal. Consider saving by buying foods in bulk and storing them in the freezer.

Alternatives: When it comes to animal products organic grass-fed and pastured is the best option for things like cheese, yogurt, eggs and milk. Even better if it’s raw! If you do eat meat, organic grass-fed is best. Getting these products at your local farmer’s market is a great option because that way you can talk directly to the farmer and ask what kind of feed they give to the animals. The animals may be partially grass-fed and supplemented with gmo corn and soy, so it’s always best to ask! You can buy trusted non-GMO grassfed cheese here.

3. GMOs in Sugar

As if you need another reason to avoid sugar right? Well, in the US and Canada unless the ingredient label says “pure cane sugar” it is probably made from GMO sugar beets or a combination of that and cane sugar. I can’t stress how important it is to read ingredient labels. Sugar may be an ingredient in things that you might not even think of as sweet like bread or crackers.

What to avoid on ingredients labels: Sugar

Alternatives: It’s always best to make your own dessert foods with natural sweeteners like honey or coconut sugar. If you do find yourself buying foods with sugar in them, make sure they are organic or that it is cane sugar or evaporated cane juice.

4. GMOs in Artificial Sweeteners

If you aren’t already avoiding artificial sweeteners for other reasons, maybe this will change your mind. This is how one artificial sweetener, aspartame, reacts in your body:

“The two primary components of aspartame, phenylalanine and aspartic acid, are amino acids that are combined in an ester bond. You normally consume these two amino acids in the foods you eat. These amino acids are harmless when consumed as part of natural unprocessed foods. However when they are chemically manipulated and consumed out of the normal ratios to other amino acids, they can cause problems.

Your body initially breaks down the ester link between the two amino acids to turn them into free amino acids. The neurotoxic effects of these chemicals in their “free form” can result in immediate health consequences such as headaches, mental confusion, dizziness and seizures.” (6.Source)

5. GMOs in Corn Additives

Considering that 88% of corn is genetically modified, it is safe to assume that almost all corn derived additives have GMOs in them (7.Source). If you don’t usually read ingredients labels you’d be surprised at how much corn is actually present in packaged foods. Even foods that seemingly have nothing to do with corn like cookies, potato chips, yogurt, baking powder, enriched flour, bread and cereal usually have some corn derived additive in them like high fructose corn syrup or corn oil.

According to Michael Pollan’s research, “There are some 45,000 items in the average American supermarket, and more than a quarter of them contain corn. At the same time, the food industry has done a good job of persuading us that the 45,000 different items or SKUs (stock keeping units) represent genuine variety rather than the clever rearrangements of molecules extracted from the same plant.” (8.Source)

Alternatives: When it comes to avoiding corn derived additives, the best thing you can do is work toward removing packaged processed foods from your life. Make sure that when you do buy products with corn in them, that they are either organic or contain a label indicating that they are participating in the non-gmo project.

6. GMOs in Soy Additives

Soy is similar to corn in that it is one of the largest genetically modified crops grown in the US. A whopping 93% of soy is genetically modified and, like corn, seems to be in everything in one form or another (7.Source).

You’ll find some kind of soy derived ingredient in everything from baby food and infant formula to salad dressing, condiments and protein powder (even if its not soy protein).

Alternatives: I try to avoid soy altogether for reasons other than GMOs (you can read more about that in my article 5 ‘Vegetarian Foods’ I Never Eat). Again, cutting out processed and packaged foods is good for all-around better health and it saves money too! If you do prefer to continue eating soy, make sure it is organic and try to stick to fermented soy like tempeh and natto.

7. GMOs in Industrially Processed Oils

Although many of the oils listed here as industrially processed are commonly considered healthy oils, I avoid them for a few reasons. Not only are most of them derived from GMOs, but the process used to extract these oils results in rancid and unstable polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs).

“So, in the process of being extracted from the seed, these oils oxidize, and many of them plasticize (turn into trans fats). The end result is stinky and unappetizing, so the oil is further ‘cleaned’ using bleach or alternative chemicals to deodorize it.” (9.Source)

Because these oils are so cheap they are some of the most commonly used oils in packaged foods and in restaurants. You’ll find them in most fried foods, chips, nuts, breads, margarine and butter substitutes.

Alternatives: The best, healthiest and most stable oils for high temperature cooking are coconut oil, ghee and palm oil (There has been some unfavorable news lately about palm oil’s destruction of the rainforest and harming of wildlife. So, make sure you choose a sustainable brand like this one). For lower temperature cooking, grass-fed butter and good quality olive oil are great.

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I always find it curious that the thought that GMO products are not going to harm us… the difference between a monkey and a human is just a gene or two. Hmmmmm…..yet we are DRASTICALLY DIFFERENT, wouldn’t you agree?

The government said that the use of asbestos was safe.Yet, it was all about making money. Today, the rules for removing it are strict to avoid getting sick .

I prefer to stay close to what nature intended. 🙂

Thank you for the list.

(Although I’m confused by the vitamins that you say to avoid. Even in the brand you recommend riboflavin & ascorbic acid are listed. Do you have more info on how to tell if it is natural or synthetic based on the supplement name?)

Organic products can still have up to 30% non-organic or GMO ingredients. If the ingredient is not labeled as organic or certified non-GMO, it’s safe to say it’s not safe. I see a lot of GMO soy lecithin in organic products. In my experience it’s the most common additive that makes organic processed foods not safe.

As someone with a corn allergy, I can attest to the fact that corn really is in just about everything! corn-derived citric acid is my #1 source of reactions. I have found very few products with citric acid derived from organic sugar beets– the only brands I’ve found are Badger Balm and Dr. Bronner’s Soap!) I avoid any food with citric acid if I don’t want to bother calling the company. I absolutely love organic coconut for cooking and just about everything. This was a great read! Thank you!

Very comprehensive post. One just about has to stay out of the supermarket altogether. I am almost there, but I still do wander in for a few things now and again.

I wasn’t aware of the roots of ascorbic acid and it is unfortunately added to so many things. As I am not always able to buy unpasteurized organic apple juice I sometimes buy the frozen concentrate, which has the ascorbic acid added.

I guess that means that I have probably been consuming GMO stuff without even knowing it. Sigh!

I have been a vegetarian for more than 55 years, starting in my home country of Germany and then later during my higher education in Switzerland. This was during the late 40s and all of the 50s. I will assume that at that time none of the Junk-Foods additives and chemicals were not being used as much as they are today. Has anybody ever done some research into the use of the items listed in your report by any other country, and, if so, which country, in your estimation, lives healthier than the US ?

I love this article. Getting the truth out is so important. It is unfortunate that deception is everywhere in the food industry. I just wrote a post about some of the ingredients companies are putting into Hybrid seeds. There were more harmful ingredients than I had originally assumed.

From what I’ve read, Europe is much better about requiring GMO labeling (like the UK) and even banning them in some countries (like France). Each country is different, so you would have to read up on your specific country.

vitamin connection was a surprise and a shock individuals have the right to sue companies for not stating source of material regardless of any law concerning disclosure of gmo content gmo = genocide use of gmo stuff constitutes cannibalism in any legal context

As Lyndz said, there is so much more GMO corn lurking out there than most people (even Pollan) are aware of. Pollan does a good job of making the issue with our food supply known, but I think that the amount of foods tainted with GMO’s in the average grocery store is more like 85%.

Something that no one but a person diagnosed as corn-allergic would know. We’re nerdy that way. 😉

While, I appreciate those that try to “educate” the public about food choices, there is nothing reasonably close to educational in this article. Sure there are some facts (I.e. Non-organic beef was fed with genetically modified corn) but simply by stating the fact does not make it bad or a threat. I also appreciate the attempt to site your sources as often one sided opinionated articles such as this, try to do so based on here say and non factual info. However, the “sources” sited carry no credit or merit in the scientific world. These sources are simply representative of other opinions and then restated in other ways.

Everyone is entitled to an opinion and I certainly have mine. However, this article is part of the larger issue of why the general public is not well informed. To date, there are no scientific findings that genetically modified crops have any negative impact on human health. None. The FDA is in place for a reason. To govern and protect our food supply. These are people just like you and I – not robots or computers- FDA employees have families, friends, and neighbors that eat and buy food just like we do. Do you really think they would look the other way if something wasn’t deemed safe? If you believe that then you have greater problems that likely can’t be solved.

The truth in the matter is I come from a farm and work with farmers everyday. Genetic modification is a necessity. Every day the farmable land becomes smaller. Also everyday the world population becomes larger. The only way to sustain the diets we enjoy is through the use of science that is proven safe. We can not survive long term without the advancements of these products. Has anyone on this thread ever talked to a farmer? Not your neighbor’s cousins friend that raises 3 chickens in her storage shed. A real farmer that cares for the land and animals every day and takes his job very seriously and provides for you and I. I would encourage you to talk to a farmer and do some research on the other side to understand the impacts of gmos in terms of increased yield, higher quality, less use of pesticide and herbicides and keeping up with sustained population growth.

Again, everyone is free to an opinion. I respect that. But I’ll reiterate, do some research on your own (beyond googling: “are GMos bad?”) and form your own opinion. An opinionated article without merit such as this is not research nor scientific.

Scientific studies are cited in the first paragraph of this article which show the harmful effects of GMOs.

To answer your question of whether I’ve ever talked to a farmer, the answer is yes. In fact, I recently met Joel Salatin author of “Folks, this ain’t normal”, he makes his living as a full-time farmer. As a farmer, I would encourage you to read his books. Maybe that will shed a little light on why so many people agree that GMOs are in fact dangerous and the FDA does not actually have our best interest in mind.

Why would the FDA look the other way if GMOs are dangerous? 1 word: Money. Monsanto is a billion dollar biochemical company that has spend a lot of money to develop GMOs and they want people to use them, have the FDA sign off on them and think they are safe so that they make more money. Monsanto has lobbyists that are paid to nudge laws in their favor. Many of the FDAs top employees are former Monsanto employees.

It is a myth perpetuated by biochem companies that GMOs are needed to feed the world. World hunger is not an issue of supply, it’s an issue of distribution of wealth. In other words, it’s not that there isn’t enough food produced to feed the world, it’s that poor communities and countries do not have access to food because they can’t afford it. Americans throw away nearly half of their food every year and that includes grocery stores that throw away edible food because it’s past the sell-by date.

I believe in a lot of what you have written and your reply here was very accurate from my understanding about Monsanto, lobbyists, money hungry people, agendas. etc.

What I wanted to say about this article is the first paragraph was confusing. I reread 3 times because the way it’s worded sounds like the pregnant mom eats the umbilical cord which I am fully aware that I’m misunderstanding something. I was very confused as to what the research says about pregnant women and the umbilical cord and GMO’s. I clicked the link to the source but it’s broken. Since I’m pregnant I would really love to read that study :).

I truly believe eating natural is best but I found this article really overwhelming for a person just getting started on their path to weeding GMOs out of the diet it almost seems impossible. Corn, sugar, most oils, dairy, vitamins, etc. I was really overwhelmed by the end! I would love to see a follow up article on how to cut GMOs out step by step.

For example, I have made a huge effort to cut out all hydrogenated oils and a lot of HFCS out of my family’s diet. I have also switched to all organic beef. I also read labels and choose the most natural brand of something I can find. Making one change at a time has helped me adjust and start on the path to cleaner eating in a live able manner.

Since I’m a blogger too I can say that a follow up- a step by step plan to cut GMOs out of your diet over time might be an excellent idea for an ebook or just series of blog posts. Or perhaps you’ve already done that. If so a link to it would be great.

Oh and one more note. I believe that there does need to be moderation in all things. If indeed GMOs are everywhere and in almost everything (& I feel that may be an exaggeration because I see tons of non GMO stickers on many items I buy) but if it is true then everyone is bound to eat them once in awhile. Also, The human body is miraculously resilient. Perhaps adding something in the article about this fact can help readers feel like there is hope even if they have been eating GMOS their entire lives.

Hi Anita, Unfortunately the full study PDF that was linked there before is no longer there. So I could only find an abstract to the study, but I linked that in the sources if you want to do some more research there.

It sounds like you are doing a great job of trying to avoid unhealthy foods and integrating natural foods in to your diet little by little. It can be overwhelming at first, but I like to give people the cold hard truth even if it is a little disheartening. I think there is just some information that is hard to swallow no matter how you package it. I figure, if it’s not applicable to your life at this time, that’s ok, the information is there for when you do need it. I always say, do the best you can with what you have…we can’t all be perfect.

I have mixed feelings about the ethics of GMOs, but I do not believe that they are harmful in the way you describe. A few days ago I attended a very interesting guest lecture on the ethics of GMOs. One thing that was pointed out was that there are no studies proving that GMOs have adverse side effects. Your first source is proven wrong by a comment below the paper. Anastasia L. Bodnar says “This comment focuses on the claim by Aris and Leblanc that CryAb1 toxin was detected. In short, they used an incorrect method and an incorrect standard. The ELISA kit used by Aris and Leblanc to detect Bt was made by a company called Agdia (as described in section 2.4. of the paper). The kit was created and tested to detect Bt in plant tissues (Agdia doesn’t make any kits for animal tissues). This is potentially a problem because a kit that is not tested on mammalian tissues might cross-react with proteins found in mammals that aren’t found in plants, giving a false positive result. ELISA methods have been developed for Cry proteins in mammalian blood, but these methods have had varying success. German researchers developed an ELISA method for cows’ blood, which was able to detect Cry proteins in blood that was spiked with the protein. They did not find any significant difference between cows that had been fed Bt and conventional maize for a two month period, and all values detected in all cows’ blood were less than 1.5 ng/mL. Paul V, 2008 Aris and Leblanc did cite a paper that showed fragments and intact Bt protein could be detected with ELISA in the gastrointestinal tract (not in blood). Aris and Leblanc did not mention that the researchers found that Bt was probably digested in cattle, and suggested that a different method besides ELISA should be used to confirm presence of Cry protein. Lutz B, 2005 Aris and Leblanc also cited a paper that used ELISA to detect Cry protein in pigs. ELISA, immunochromatography, and immunoblot were sucessful in detecting Cry protein fragments in the gastrointestinal tract. Aris and Leblanc did not mention that the researchers did not detect any Cry protein in blood with any of these methods. Chowdhury EH, 2003 In addition to using an incorrect method to detect Cry proteins in blood, Aris and Leblanc also used an incorrect standard. Aris and LeBlanc created Cry protein solutions of 0.1 to 10 ng/mL. In Table 2, they report that a a range of 0 to 1.50 ng/mL was detected in maternal blood and 0 to 0.14 was detected in fetal cord blood. The mean and SD for maternal was 0.19 ng/mL ± 0.30 and for fetal was 0.04 ± 0.04 ng/mL. Ideally, test values will be in the middle of a standard curve. Any values outside or at the edges of of the standard curve may be false positives. Aris and Leblanc could have confirmed their results with a Western blot or any number of other methods, but they did not.” She proves how this experiment and its results were not accurate and how the methods used could have led to a false positive. Your next two sources don’t lead anywhere. AS for your last source, there is a wide variety of GMOs that are created for different purposes. Of course they’re not all going to be resistant to all pests and such. GMOs don’t claim to be the cure for world hunger. Right now, they’re simply making life easier for farmers. As for GMOs being “unnatural” and “manmade,” you do realize that corn was originally a grass that humans tampered with and bred to focus it’s production on ears of corn. Plus broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and countless other plants were made by humans from mustard plants. GMOs are basically created by doing the same thing in a lab. I’m not 100% for them, but I thought you should know that there really is no evidence that proves that GMOs are harmful to humans.

Hi, I’m Hannah Healy!

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